Chesco Man Pleads Guilty in Malvern Weapons Cache Case

Authorities remove hundreds of IEDs from a Malvern Public Storage unit in February 2013. (Patch file photo)

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A Chester County man this week pleaded guilty to weapons charges stemming from the February 2013 discovery of hundreds of improvised explosive devices in a Malvern storage unit.

Istvan Merchenthaler, 44, also pleaded guilty Monday to number of federal charges in connection to a multimillion dollar Ponzi scheme, Main Line Media News reported.

Merchenthaler, who has been in federal custody since February 2013, had previous addresses in Downingtown, West Chester and Coatesville, Main Line Media News said.

On Feb. 16, 2013, authorities found more than 400 IEDs and a number of pipe bombs at the Malvern Public Storage on Lancaster Avenue in Frazier.

Merchenthaler led authorities to the storage unit after an arrest following a traffic stop, Main Line Media News said.

Merchenthaler is expected to be sentenced in January.

See more from Main Line Media News here.